Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions appears to be laying the groundwork for a federal crackdown on legal marijuana, including raids in Washington State.

Sessions has sent a letter to Washington State officials criticizing the implementation of marijuana legalization there. Sessions cites a law enforcement report that he claims “raises serious questions about the efficacy of marijuana ‘regulatory structures’ in your state.”

The Attorney General quotes passages from the report on interstate diversion, use by minors, and driving under the influence, all implications of the federal Cole Memo.

This is crucial because the Cole Memo, issued during the Obama Administration, laid out the requirements for state cannabis regulation in order to avoid federal raids. For Atty. Gen. Sessions to claim these requirements aren’t effectively being met means that he’s claiming the right to conduct federal drug raids.

Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson:“I will resist any efforts by the Trump administration to undermine the will of the voters in Washington state”[Puget Sound Business Journal]

Washington Will Resist Crackdown

“I will resist any efforts by the Trump administration to undermine the will of the voters in Washington state,” Ferguson said in February. Gov. Inslee, for his part, said this is not a fight that Trump should pick. “They would be on the wrong side of history,” Inslee said.

Sessions’ tone, though, was tough and controversial in his letter:

“[P]lease advise as to how Washington plans to address the findings in the Northwest HIDTA report, including efforts to ensure that all marijuana activity is compliant with state marijuana laws, to combat diversion of marijuana, to protect public health and safety, and to prevent marijuana use by minors. I also am open to suggestions on marijuana policy and related matters as we work to carry out our duties to effectively and faithfully execute the laws of the United States.”

Heightened Concern

Among cannabis advocates, the letter adds to already heightened concern about the possibility of a federal marijuana crackdown under the Trump Administration.

I also read with interest the statement in your letter that you “have worked … to establish robust regulatory structures that prioritize public health and public safety,” and that you believe that the 2013 Cole Memorandum, its eight enforcement priorities, and related memoranda are an “indispensable” part of the “framework” in your state. In that regard, I would note the concluding paragraph: “nothing herein [in the Cole Memorandum] precludes investigation or prosecution, even in the absence of any one of the factors listed above, in particular circumstances where investigation and prosecution otherwise serves an important federal interest.” Thus, the memorandum “does not alter in any way the Department’s authority to enforce federal law, including federal laws relating to marijuana, regardless of state law.”

Throwing Down the Gauntlet

Having established, at least in his mind, that Washington state doesn’t adequately regulate its legal cannabis market, and thus is subject to federal raids, Atty. Gen. Sessions then throws down the gauntlet with a direct challenge:

These findings are relevant to the policy debate concerning marijuana legalization. I appreciate your offer to engage in a continuing dialogue on this important issue. To that end, please advise as to how Washington plans to address the findings in the Northwest HIDTA report, including efforts to ensure that all marijuana activity is compliant with state marijuana laws, to combat diversion of marijuana, to protect public health and safety, and to prevent marijuana use by minors.

It seems obvious that drug warrior Sessions, long an ardent foe of cannabis and the people who use it, is very methodically laying the groundwork to justify federal raids on Washington state as part of a crackdown. He plans to blame the crackdown on the state’s supposed “failure” to enforce its state marijuana laws, to combat diversion out of state, to “protect public health and safety,” and to prevent pot use by minors.

Hey @disqus_HmUsNdioyC:disqus, here’s what you don’t seem to get, you dumbshit son of a bitch:

NO. I do NOT want stupid motherfuckers like YOU to come to my7 site more than once. You are more than welcome to get your dumb ass the fuck out of here, and stay gone, Einstein. Is that clear e-fucking-nough for your dim-witted, redneck, inbred ass?

Incidentally, it’s not up to your stupid redneck ass to decide if I’m being “professional” on MY OWN SITE… That’s entirely my call, and I pass that test. So go fuck yourself, you pathetic little whining-ass sensitive snowflake. Go beat off in a pro-Trump forum; they are much more tolerant of stupidity in such venues.

Scott

Anyway, now I know what kind of hypersensitive, hysterical person writes this stuff and feel confident I can file under “disregard”. Take care buddy, I hope you find happiness.

Scott

Still don’t see a crackdown… Do you? At what point in the future can we safely assume it didn’t happen? Or is this just one of those perpetual “doom is coming” things that pulls people in to your articles. But never actually materializes into the “doom has arrived” thing… Easy to write about and defend, because you can always say, “well it hasn’t happened yet. I said it was ‘going’ to happen”

Scott

And you WANT people to come to your site? Like more than once? Cuz it looks like bully bait to me. But it does explain why there is so much supposition, inferences, conspiracy theory and total lack of objectivity in these articles.

So are you saying if I put my full name up, you’d what? find me, stalk me, harass me, what purpose would it serve? I was simply saying that I bet you’re a hellova more polite to people within punching distance of your teeth, as evidenced by you still having them (I’m guessing) I wasn’t saying I wanted to hunt you down. I like being happy, and having friends… I’m just not that kinda guy.

I am sorry to hear this is your site tho, as you trolling your own articles is super unprofessional. Before I thought you were just some asshole sounding off. But you’re actually trying to do something professionally and acting like an ass in the process.

@disqus_HmUsNdioyC:disqus I’m the guy who owns and writes this site, genius. Do you call that “hiding”? MY NAME IS IN THE TITLE, dumbshit. LOL!

You’re the laughable little coward who’s afraid to put his full name up.

Kiss my fucking ass, you stupid little cowardly son of a bitch. This IS real life, and you are a piece of shit. 😀

Scott

You are a troll. You talk like that in real life? Doubt you’d have any teeth left if you said shit like that when you weren’t hiding behind your computer. But whatever. You’re obviously pissed off all the time, which is it’s own wonderful punishment. Try being happy sometimes. It kicks much ass.

I see nothing to worry about here. I think he’s playing a delicate balancing act and he has some legitimate concerns. I live in Colorado and you won’t find minors working anywhere near an MMJ or Rec shop/grow. We have a system for tracking weed everywhere… Now that I think about it, his letter reads pretty much like he’s using Colorado as the bar he’d like Washington to step up too. Not to mention Trump has said many times he supports medical use, he has close friends that he’s seen personally benefit from it’s use.

Sessions is about 40 years out of his time. He would have had a better time in Nixon and Reagan’s decades than he will now. The general public is fed-up with the War on Drugs and no longer believes the propaganda.

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